What to take with you
As well as your hospital bag , remember you’ll need your birth plan and maternity notes with you at the hospital.
Checks and tests
When you first get to the hospital for the birth, you’ll probably be taken to a room for mums-to-be who’ve just arrived.
A nurse will take you through a series of checks and tests.
They’ll want to check:
• What’s already happened in your labour, such as whether your water has broken and whether your contractions have begun.
• Your blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and urine.
• Your maternity notes.
• Your tummy and, with your permission, carry out an internal examination to find out how dilated your cervix is.
All the details will be written down.
The next step
If you’re in early, it may be better to go home and wait for the contractions to get stronger. If you’re staying, you’ll be given a bed on the early labour ward and move into a delivery room when your labour progresses.
If your contractions aren’t too strong this is when the nurse and doctor will go through your birth plan with you and find out what your preferences are during labour.
However, if you’re in full labour you'll be taken straight to a delivery room. You’ll still be able to tell the doctor or nurse about your birth plan but make sure you have it in hand and that your partner knows about your choices too, because things may be moving more quickly by this stage.